MÉTIER BREWING COMPANY

Seattle’s first Black-owned brewery in the heart of the CD.

estled just off the corner of Cherry Street and 27th are the neon lights of Métier Brewing Company, Seattle’s first Black-owned brewery and one of the few Black-owned brewing companies in the United States. Although the company was first established in Woodinville, their Central District taproom, which opened in June of 2022, serves as their flagship location. It features a number of on-tap award-winning beers, such as the Coconut Porter and a variety of IPAs, as well as non-alcoholic beverages such as their own zero-proof beer alternative, Sparkling Hop Water. MBC partners with Chef Harold Fields, the founder of Umami Kushi, to serve Japanese-style street food at the taproom. Fields worked as a chef in Japan and decided to bring his love for the food back with him to the States. Delicious Okazu Pan — bread stuffed with different savory fillings — and beignets are served to perfectly compliment the drinks.

For MBC co-founder and CEO Rodney Hines, a resident of the Central District for over 25 years, bringing MBC to the Central District felt like coming home. For him, it’s a huge step in reclaiming the neighborhood after the years of gentrification that have forced Black people and Black businesses out. “With all the change that’s been put on this neighborhood, the reclamation, and the work to continue to bring back and secure the values here, that’s the work of all of us; the newcomers as well as the folks who’ve been calling this place home for years.”

A huge part of MBC’s mission as a company is to build a stronger community, which is why it was so important to invest back